11 states seek relief from 'No Child' rules

Eleven states, including Florida, applied for waivers exempting them from key provisions of No Child Left Behind by the federal government's first deadline, the Education Department said Tuesday. In return, the states promised to implement higher standards and other elements of the Obama administration's school improvement plan.

Jerusalem

Israel threatens action in Gaza

Israel's military chief of staff warned Tuesday that the repeated rounds of escalated violence in the south would eventually require Israel to carry out another large-scale military operation in Hamas-controlled Gaza.

Palo Alto, Calif.

Middle-class areas shrink, report finds

The portion of U.S. families living in middle-income neighborhoods declined significantly since 1970, according to a new Stanford University study, as rising income inequality left more families in either mostly low-income or mostly affluent neighborhoods.

San Francisco

Guilty plea in illegal export case

A San Francisco-area suburbanite pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring to ship material for a Pakistani nuclear reactor after initially denying she was behind any scheme contributing to the proliferation threat. Xun Wang admitted her guilt Tuesday before a federal judge in Washington.

Alabama

About 100 protest immigration law

Police have arrested 11 people protesting Alabama's strict new immigration law. About 100 people took part in the protest Tuesday at the state house and nearby Capitol building in downtown Montgomery as a light rain fell. The demonstrators, most of whom were Hispanic, first marched around the Capitol and then headed to the state house.

Chicago

Archdiocese to pay $3.2M to sex victim

Attorneys for a victim of convicted pedophile and former Roman Catholic priest Daniel McCormack have reached a $3.2 million settlement with the Archdiocese of Chicago and Cardinal Francis George. The plaintiff was one of five victims McCormack admitted abusing when he pleaded guilty in 2007. The victim was 10 to 12 years old during the abuse.